No Wonder in Burtonâ€™s Wonderland

Thatâ€™s because the fantastical Burton doing his version of wonderland seemed like a no-brainer: dark, innovative, imaginative filmmaker meets the dreamy nonsensical world of Lewis Carroll. Apparently Burton, a master of creating mood (The Nightmare Before Christmas, Edward Scissorhands), wanted to create a new film version of Alice in Wonderland that was more story-driven and less about a girl wondering around aimlessly, encountering a series of crazy events and wacky characters. Unfortunately, this new story, based on a screenplay by Linda Wolverton (a strange blend of elements from Carrollâ€™s Aliceâ€™s Adventures in Wonderland, and Through the Looking Glass) feels forced, and utterly predictable like a feel-good after-school-TV -movie with a â€˜I think I can and therefore I canâ€™ plot. This film absolutely dilutes the dreamy Wonderland experience.

Disneyâ€™s 1951 Animated Alice in Wonderland: This is a classic worth watching over and over again. I will never tire of this versionâ€™s hookah-smoking caterpillarâ€™s â€œWhooooâ€¦areâ€¦you?â€ voiced by actor Richard Hadyn, probably better-known for his portrayal of Max in The Sound of Music: 4 hooks (out of possible 5)